MS on the way to became european AJ

Just read the news that MS is likely to race beyond 2012, he'll enter his third decade of competetive racing. Quite an achievement, and clearly on the way to became european AJ (and Andretti to some extent)

From Wikipedia-Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt (born January 16, 1935, in Houston, Texas), is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won several major sports car racing events. He holds the all-time USAC career wins record with 159 victories,[1] and the all-time American championship racing career wins record with 67.[2]

He is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (which he won four times), the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Foyt won the International Race of Champions all-star racing series in 1976 and 1977. Foyt's success has led to induction in numerous motorsports halls of fame.

Nah, AJ stole his fathers go-kart while MS built his own. I also think MS will treat his grandsons better (when I was younger I was racing with one of the grandsons - AJ was brutal/physical to the boy for his lack of performance so to speak. We were in different classes though, so I did not get to beat him like my other fellow racers were.

AJ was my biggest hero growing up until that day. It is one of those things that you never forget, some of the other kids I raced with at the time were just in shock over what we saw.

I'm not quite getting this three decades thing - are you saying thirty years, or are you saying 90's, 00's and 10's?

A. J. Foyt raced in 35 Indy 500's spanning 5 decades. During that period (1958 -1992) it was regarded as the race all racers wanted to win even if it usually wasn't quite the cutting edge of racing technology .

Goes to show why you can't trust Wikipedia completely. Other than that, good synopsis.

Wikipedia provides clarification and justification for its contention that "Anthony Joseph Foyt ... [holds] the all-time American championship racing career wins record ..." Clicking on that quote displays this explanation: "Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars."

Petty's rout wasn't accomplished at the top level of American racing at the time. Matter of opinion? No. The NASCAR guys who kiss the Speedway's bricks are showing respect and deference to legends like Foyt.

To me, this is what makes A.J. Foyt, jr. stand out against M. Schumacher, who, in top level motorsport, only won in Grands Prix, plus 2 victories in the World Sportscar Championship.

The same goes for a driver like N.G. Hill, who won the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500, plus 2 World Drivers' Championships.

I think with MS not done with f1 yet, he could win Le Mans in his 50s after f1, it's there for him to win if he wants it, he's unpredictable and could do anything, his motorbike try out was unpredictable as well, especially leave ferrari as he has done.

To me, this is what makes A.J. Foyt, jr. stand out against M. Schumacher, who, in top level motorsport, only won in Grands Prix, plus 2 victories in the World Sportscar Championship.

The same goes for a driver like N.G. Hill, who won the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500, plus 2 World Drivers' Championships.

Don't forget Michael won races in the old Sportscar World Championship. Wasn't his fault it imploded at around the same time his F1 career began. Le Mans is still a long way from being a serious proposition for a top-level racing driver, like it was in ~1990.

Foyt lived at a time when being a short-tracking Texan didn't preclude major success in them uppity tea-drinking sports cars, or for that matter in those funny rear-engined rollerskate Indycars. He was a bit of a Kenny Roberts, who was equally at home in Springfield or Silverstone.